Scottish Parliament

Written Answers

Friday 11 February 2000

Scottish Executive

Aggregates Tax

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what meetings it has had with representatives of aggregates and quarrying interests in connection with proposals for an Aggregates Working Party to take an overview of local authority practice in zoning sufficient sites to ensure long term supplies of aggregates.

Sarah Boyack: I discussed this issue at a meeting with the Quarry Products Association, the main trade organisation for the industry, on 10 September 1999.

Aggregates Tax

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has had from aggregates and quarrying interests in Scotland in connection with the proposed aggregates tax, and what representations it has made as a consequence to Her Majesty's Government about the potential impact of an aggregates tax in Scotland.

Sarah Boyack: To date, the Executive has received representations from or on behalf of twelve parties with an aggregates or quarrying interest. The Executive is in touch with HM Government on a wide range of issues, including the issue of aggregates taxation.

Air Accident

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Lord Advocate was aware of or conveyed to the Fatal Accident Inquiry into the Chinook helicopter crash on Mull of Kintyre in 1994 the fact that the HC2 helicopter was allowed into operational service without all the defects in FADEC being resolved.

Lord Hardie: I have already explained that the Crown Office was not aware of allegations about the FADEC system until after the conclusion of the Fatal Accident Inquiry.

Crime

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what support it provides to neighbourhood watch schemes and other community groups to prevent crime.

Angus MacKay: Self-help groups such as those involved with Neighbourhood Watch and crime prevention/community safety panels operate entirely on a voluntary basis, supported by local police forces. The Scottish Executive provides support in the form of publicity materials and in the case of panels has, since 1997, awarded £54,000 of funding for local crime prevention initiatives. I also announced last August the introduction of new challenge funding of £1.5 million for projects from community safety partnerships to run in tandem with the CCTV Challenge Competition which receives similar funding.

Education

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many teachers and interpreters for deaf people there are at present in Scotland.

Mr Sam Galbraith: As at September 1998, there were an estimated 164 full-time equivalent teachers who had a hearing impairment teaching qualification in publicly-funded schools in Scotland. There are currently 31 registered interpreters for the deaf and 12 trainees.

Fisheries

Nick Johnston (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-3442 by Mr John Home Robertson on 24 January 2000, what were the total costs of the (Electricity) Fisheries Committee for each of the three years 1997-98, 1998-99 and 1999-2000, how are the members nominated to the Committee and whether they are remunerated for their duties.

Mr John Home Robertson: Committee members do not receive remuneration, only reimbursement of eligible costs such as travel and subsistence. These totalled £4,500, £4,300 and £5,500 in the three years specified. Committee members are appointed in accordance with provision in the Electricity Acts, and having regard to the procedures for public appointments. Bodies involved in the area covered by the Committee are also invited to submit nominations.

Health

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to remedy the problems with the cervical screening systems in the Fife, Forth Valley and Tayside Health Board areas and what action it intends to take to audit these services in all other health board areas.

Susan Deacon: The Inquiry Team's Report into the circumstances which gave rise to the problem with the cervical screening call/recall system in Fife, Forth Valley and Tayside Health Boards was published on 15 December 1999. I have asked the three health boards to take immediate action to put in place the operational changes recommended in the report and to complete their work and deliver a full and final report to me by spring 2000. Dr Jocelyn Imrie's, Quality Assurance Director of the Scottish Cervical Screening Programme, review of the call/recall system across Scotland, is due to be completed by the end of March 2000. I understand that the Inquiry Team has referred their report to Dr Imrie. In addition, I have asked the Cervical Cancer Screening National Advisory Group and the National Co-ordinator of the Screening Programmes to consider the recommendations in the report, and to provide me with their views on any further steps required to make the screening service more effective.

Health

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients with multiple sclerosis, considered eligible for beta interferon treatment, are being denied such treatment on grounds of cost.

Susan Deacon: There is no information available on the number of patients with multiple sclerosis who may be eligible for beta interferon treatment. The question of whether patients might benefit from beta interferon treatment is a matter for the clinical judgement of the clinicians concerned, informed by advice from local drugs and therapeutic committees.

Health

Scott Barrie (Dunfermline West) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, in the light of the recent announcement by Fife Health Board on the proposals to transfer maternity services to Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy and transfer the "care" provision of Lynebank Hospital to the Queen Margaret Hospital, Dunfermline, whether it believes the Fife Health Board’s current consultation into the future of Acute Services in Fife addresses all relevant circumstances.

Susan Deacon: Fife Health Board and the two NHS Trusts in Fife are still developing their proposals for acute hospital services. The Health Board has been encouraged to involve all its planning partners, the public and interest groups in this process and is expected to consult formally on its plans later this year.

Health

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what involvement it has had in Fife Health Board’s review of services in Fife, and whether it will make a statement about the resignation of Fife Health Board’s Chairperson.

Susan Deacon: Fife Health Board and the two NHS Trusts in Fife are still developing their proposals for acute hospital services. As such, the advice given by the Health Department has focused on the process to be followed in appraising the options they have under consideration.

  Mrs Stenhouse wrote to me on 2 November to tender her resignation as the Chairman of Fife Health Board.

Health

Kay Ullrich (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-2766 by Susan Deacon on 8 December 1999, whether it will specify a maximum time period in days, weeks or months which it considers acceptable for a person to wait, following a GP referral, for a clinic appointment for the fitting of a hearing aid.

Susan Deacon: I announced on 16 December 1999 that, over the coming months, the Scottish Executive will be working with the NHS in Scotland to establish national maximum waiting times, to be met by March 2001, in the key clinical priorities of heart disease, cancer, and for the first time ever, mental health. I have no plans to set national maximum waiting times for the fitting of hearing aids.

  It is for health boards, in conjunction with NHS Trusts, to determine their priorities. In doing so, they may set waiting times targets for specific specialties.

Health

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive why oncology patients suffering stomach and intestinal problems are having to wait up to 24 weeks for a barium x-ray diagnosis.

Susan Deacon: I refer the Member to the answer S1W-3560.

Health

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what efforts it is making to reduce waiting times for oncology patients requiring x-ray examinations in Glasgow hospitals.

Susan Deacon: North Glasgow University Hospitals NHS Trust has taken a number of steps to reduce waiting times for oncology patients both for diagnostic and therapeutic services, including extending its working week by 20 hours and the appointment of an extra half-time consultant radiologist. Further information is available on request from the Trust.

  The Scottish Executive is committed to improving waiting times, addressing all stages of each patient’s care. Over the coming months we will be working with the NHS across Scotland to establish national maximum waiting times to be met by March 2001 in the three national priorities of heart disease, cancer and mental illness.

Health

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the likely impact is on patient mortality of having to wait 24 weeks for an ultrasound scan or barium x-ray diagnosis.

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive why waiting times for ultrasound examinations and barium x-ray diagnosis vary across Scotland and what impact different waiting times have on patient outcomes.

Susan Deacon: Health boards and NHS Trusts have to plan and deliver services which meet the needs of their local population within the resources allocated to them and taking account of national and local priorities. A patient may require an ultrasound examination or barium x-ray for various clinical reasons, and the priority attached to each case is a matter for the clinical judgement of the doctor concerned. The impact on patient outcomes from differing waiting times for these investigative/diagnostic procedures would depend on the nature of the patient’s condition at the time of referral.

  The Scottish Executive is committed to improving waiting times, addressing all stages of a patient's care pathway through the Health Service, and to creating greater equity of access across the country. As I announced in Parliament on 16 December, we will be working with the NHS across Scotland over the coming months to establish national maximum waiting times, to be met by March 2000, in the three national clinical priorities of heart disease, cancer and mental illness.

Health

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the current average waiting time is for patients awaiting (a) coronary artery bypass grafts and (b) other cardiac surgery in each health board area.

Susan Deacon: The information requested is set out in the table below. Some 20% of the overall total of CABGs are undertaken on an urgent or immediate basis and are not included in the figures in the table.

  Coronary Artery Bypass Grafts / Other Cardiac Surgery (principal) operations;

  Waiting List admissions showing number and average wait by Health Board of residence for year ended 30 September 19991

  


 


Coronary Artery 

  Bypass Grafts3 (OPCS4 K40-44)

  

Other Cardiac Surgery4 

  (K25-35)

  



Area of Residence2


wait (days)

  

wait (days)

  


 

no.

  

mean

  

median

  

no.

  

mean

  

median

  



Scotland

  

1,941

  

163

  

138

  

508

  

130

  

90

  



Argyll and Clyde

  

154

  

147

  

140

  

44

  

104

  

82

  



Ayr & Arran

  

110

  

83

  

91

  

34

  

79

  

63

  



Borders

  

30

  

202

  

187

  

10

  

148

  

153

  



Dumfries & Galloway

  

54

  

248

  

292

  

15

  

101

  

87

  



Fife

  

133

  

141

  

97

  

26

  

180

  

154

  



Forth Valley

  

78

  

157

  

115

  

37

  

119

  

75

  



Grampian

  

234

  

154

  

100

  

40

  

170

  

101

  



Greater Glasgow

  

429

  

168

  

150

  

103

  

121

  

76

  



Highland

  

63

  

170

  

142

  

23

  

144

  

105

  



Lanark

  

277

  

194

  

215

  

56

  

125

  

76

  



Lothian

  

183

  

143

  

106

  

77

  

143

  

106

  



Orkney

  

2

  

88

  

89

  

2

  

12

  

13

  



Shetland

  

6

  

272

  

324

  

1

  

38

  

38

  



Tayside

  

182

  

173

  

156

  

38

  

159

  

161

  



Western Isles

  

6

  

158

  

88

  

2

  

26

  

27

  



  Source: SMR01, ISD Scotland

  Notes:

  1. Provisional data.

  2. Excludes non-Scottish residents and patients whose area of residence is unknown.

  3. Coronary Artery Bypass Grafts (CABG) use OPCS4 codes K40-K44 inclusive.

  4. Other Cardiac Surgery is defined as the OPCS4 codes K25-K35 inclusive.

Health

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding was set aside for allocation to each health board to cope with any potential winter epidemic and whether that funding has proved to be sufficient in every case.

Susan Deacon: There has been record investment in the Health Service in Scotland this year. From £300 million extra allocated to health in Scotland, each health board received a substantial increase above inflation to meet the health care needs of their resident population including any pressure on services which might emerge throughout the year but especially during the winter. A further £2 million was invested in a flu vaccination programme so that the most vulnerable groups, such as the elderly, could be immunised against the flu.

Health

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what compensation was paid to each Chief Executive for loss of office at each outgoing NHS Trust in 1999.

Susan Deacon: The Trust reconfiguration process was a managed one and is expected to save £100 million for investment in patient care. Annual savings of £8 million are expected as a direct consequence of the reduction in the number of chief executives and executive directors resulting from the reconfiguration of Trusts from 46 to 28. Early retirement was given to 17 individuals and the redundancy payments made to the chief executives in that group are set out in the table. These payments have been made in accord with the General Whitley Council regulations. The chief executives would also be entitled to immediate payment of pension and lump sum calculated under the NHS Superannuation Scheme regulations. The process has been audited and found to provide value for money.

  


Chief Executive of:

  

Redundancy

  



Angus NHS Trust

  

£21,805

  



Kirkcaldy Acute NHS Trust

  

£39,174

  



Dumfries and Galloway Acute and 

  Maternity NHS Trust

  

£13,480

  



Raigmore Hospital NHS Trust

  

£33,252

  



Hairmyres and Stonehouse NHS Trust

  

£40,311

Health

Elaine Smith (Coatbridge and Chryston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, in the light of the recent publication of reports and recommendations from the NHS Pay Review Body (PRB) and subsequent announcements regarding pay rises for staff covered by the PRB, how it intends to address the issues of recruitment, retention and morale associated with pay settlements for those biomedical scientists within the NHS not covered by the PRB.

Susan Deacon: There is no evidence held centrally to suggest any widespread recruitment and retention issues surrounding this staff group.

  However, the recent pay offer to biomedical scientists, if accepted, will mean increases of up to 26% from 1 April 1999 for Trainee MLSOs, 7.1% for MLSO1s and 7.1% for MLSO2s with a further 3.25% for all these groups from April 2000.

Health

Scott Barrie (Dunfermline West) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to ensure that there is no further cancellation of elective surgery at the Queen Margaret Hospital, Dunfermline.

Susan Deacon: Health boards and NHS Trusts prepared contingency plans, including opening more beds, to increase capacity to cope with extreme seasonal pressures and ensure those who needed emergency care received it. NHS Trusts have been managing the situation by re-scheduling elective surgery to concentrate resources on those most in need. I am aware that Fife Acute Hospitals NHS Trust postponed elective appointments due to the pressure of emergency admissions but I understand elective surgery recommenced on 7 February 2000.

Health

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what reports it has received from its representatives on the chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis working group.

Susan Deacon: Scottish observers on the main Working Group and the Children's Group have been present at most of the meetings of the two groups and at the one meeting so far of the wider Reference Group. They have been consulted about and fully advised of the outcome of the few meetings they could not attend. They have reported informally that encouraging progress is being made, and that they are satisfied that the concerns of all interests in the CFS/ME community are being heard.

Health

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it proposes to take to address the problems of sufferers of myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME).

Susan Deacon: Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) is a complex condition, which unfortunately is not fully understood, and has, as yet, no definitive diagnostic test to identify it. The difficulties surrounding diagnosis and treatment of ME were recognised in the establishment in 1999 of a Working Group on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) by the Chief Medical Officer at the Department of Health in England. The Working Group has a remit to review current management and clinical practice of CFS/ME with the aim of providing best practice guidance for professionals, patients and carers to improve both the recognition and the quality of care and treatment. The Scottish Executive Health Department has observer representation on the group and is closely monitoring its progress.

  The Scottish Executive will give full and careful consideration to the Report of the Working Group when it becomes available to determine what changes/guidance might be appropriate to current clinical practice and treatment of those with ME in Scotland.

Health

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many nurses entered training in Scotland during the last three academic years 1996-97, 1997-98 and 1998-99.

Susan Deacon: The numbers of nurses and midwives entering training during the last three financial years were as follows:

  


1996-97

  

2,575

  



1997-98

  

2,538

  



1998-99

  

2,783

Health

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many nurses left the NHS in Scotland in the last three years.

Susan Deacon: The number of nurse leavers, including age retiral, between annual censuses of NHS staff for the latest three years data available centrally were as follows:

  


1995-96

  

3,345

  



1996-97

  

3,029

  



1997-98

  

3,080

  



  In the same period, 3,327 joined in 1995-96, 2,951 in 1996-97 and 3,029 in 1997-98. These figures include both new nurses and rejoiners who have worked in the NHS in Scotland before.

Health

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many doctors left the NHS in Scotland in the last three years.

Susan Deacon: The latest available information is shown in the following table:

Number of Leavers   Leaving Rates (%)   General Medical Practitioners   Career Grade Hospital and Community Doctors   General Medical Practitioners   Career Grade Hospital and Community Doctors 1995-96   173   314   4.9   7.5 1996-97   134   264   3.7   6.3 1997-98   134   286   3.7   6.5 1998-99   122   N/A   3.3   N/A

  Source: Information and Statistics Division of the Common Services Agency.

  Notes:

  1. The figures in the table show those doctors registered with the GMC who at the end of September one year had a contract with the NHS and at the end of September in the following year did not.

  2. There is an element of double counting because some career hospital and community doctors are also GPs, and if they give up one type of work to concentrate on the other they are recorded as leavers.

  3. The figures for GPs are for principals only. Principals who decide to take up non-principal posts are recorded as leavers.

  4. The figures include retirements and deaths in service.

  5. Data generated in this way for doctors in the training grades is not appropriate for this question. It includes the many doctors who leave the NHS temporarily to take up work such as research contracts and work experience in other countries during their development as a doctor for the NHS. The Scottish Council for Postgraduate Medical and Dental Education estimates the annual net loss of doctors from the training grades as approximately 200, or 5% of the total number of training grade doctors.

Health

Ms Margaret Curran (Glasgow Baillieston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to publish and implement the recommendations of the report of the Expert Advisory Group on Infertility Services in Scotland.

Susan Deacon: I welcome the Expert Advisory Group’s report that is being published today.

  The report provides a robust evidence base for the management and delivery of infertility services in Scotland. It will also provide equity of access to services and treatment. The report has issued to all health boards and NHS Trusts in Scotland who have been asked to work towards implementation of the report as resources permit. At the same time health board and NHS Trusts have been asked to bear in mind their existing clinical priorities which are cancer, coronary heart disease/stroke and mental health.

  I intend to review progress on implementation of the report a year from now.

Higher Education

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many medical students commenced training in the last three academic years 1996-97, 1997-98 and 1998-99.

Henry McLeish: The table below shows the number of entrants to medicine courses in Higher Education Institutions in Scotland. It is split into students domiciled in Scotland and those domiciled outwith Scotland:

  Entrants to Medicine Higher Education Courses on Scottish Higher Education Institutions, 1996-97 to 1998-99

  


 


1996-97

  

1997-98

  

1998-99

  



Entrants to Medicine Courses

  

1,271

  

1,474

  

1,373

  



Scottish Domicile

  

719

  

812

  

729

  



Domiciled outwith Scotland

  

552

  

662

  

644

  



  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).

Police

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what additional human resources will be required and what additional costs will be incurred by Lothian and Borders Police in respect of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development conference being held in Edinburgh in February 2000 and whether it will provide Lothian and Borders Police with extra funding to cover, in full, these additional costs.

Mr Jim Wallace: The deployment of resources in policing this conference is an operational matter for the Chief Constable. Funding for the police is provided annually through the GAE process and not on an ad hoc basis for specific events.

Police

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to increase the number of front-line police officers and special constables and to improve police response times.

Mr Jim Wallace: The deployment of police officers to specific duties is an operational matter for Chief Constables. The police are committed to the principles of the Best Value approach as a means of increasing the efficiency of forces and improving the already high standards achieved for response times.

Rural Affairs

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans are in place to educate and assist beekeepers in dealing with the effects of the varroa jacobsonic mite and of other bee ailments and whether it has any plans to appoint a bee officer or equivalent in Scotland.

Ross Finnie: Advice by means of illustrated leaflets is already available to assist beekeepers in Scotland in dealing with the varroa jacobsoni mite and the other notifiable bee diseases, notably European Foul Brood and American Foul Brood. Beekeepers can also obtain free advice about these diseases from the Scottish Agricultural Science Agency. The Scottish Agricultural College is under contract to the Scottish Executive to make available training and advice in all bee health and management matters should beekeepers request it.

  Additionally there are a number of appointed bee officers within the Executive who respond to reports of notifiable bee diseases such as varroa.

Social Work

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the £43 million new monies made available to social work in Scotland for the year 2000-01 has been allocated to Glasgow and where this ranks Glasgow in the table of these new resources allocated to local authorities for social work spending across Scotland.

Iain Gray: Glasgow City Council has been allocated 4.35% of the additional £43 million which has been made available for social work in 2000-01. This is the sixth largest share.

Student Finance

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to improve financial support to part-time students and whether this will form part of its full response to the Cubie Report.

Henry McLeish: Early in 1999, the Government announced the introduction in academic year 2000-01 of a scheme of loans for part-time students in higher education which was welcomed by the Cubie Committee. Scottish domiciled students on low incomes will be able to apply for a loan of up to £500 to cover course expenses. The detail of the scheme will be published shortly. Also, higher education students with a disability are now eligible to apply for the Disabled Students’ Allowance. Since academic year 1998 part-time students in further and higher education who may face particular financial difficulty have been able to apply to their institution for help from the Access Funds. In addition, during 1999-2000, the further education colleges have been provided with additional funds to target at the most needy students, part-time as well as full-time.

  The Scottish Executive will publish its full response to the Cubie Report in the spring including its recommendations on part-time students.

Student Finance

Dennis Canavan (Falkirk West): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to Her Majesty’s Government on matters relating to the Cubie Committee’s proposals for new and increased benefits for students in further and higher education.

Henry McLeish: The Scottish Executive will publish its response to the Cubie Report in the spring.

  The question of entitlement to benefits is a matter for the Benefits Agency and any change to the benefits system would be a matter for the Secretary of State for Social Security. The Report of the Cubie Committee was sent to all relevant Government Departments.

Student Finance

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it will cost to modify the relevant computer systems to reflect the changes to the tuition fees system and who will meet these costs.

Henry McLeish: The computer system of the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) already has the capability to handle the changes to tuition fee arrangements. However, some adaptation is needed to cope with the changes to loan entitlement. This work will be included with other system changes which were already planned and designed to enhance service to the public. At this stage the costs of activating the tuition fee payment arrangements cannot be separately identified but are expected to be low. System change costs are met from the Higher Education Vote.

Transport

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will outline the criteria used to assess applications for signage to visitor attractions, hotels and other accommodation from trunk roads and motorways.

Sarah Boyack: The criteria used to assess applications for signage to visitor attractions, hotels and other accommodation from trunk roads and motorways is contained within the Scottish Executive Trunk Road and Motorway Tourist Signposting Policy document . A copy of this document has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Transport

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive to provide details of any research relating to rural transport which it is currently funding or has funded in the last year and of any future plans to fund such research.

Sarah Boyack: The research relating to rural transport which the Executive is currently funding or has funded in the last year is as follows:

  Monitoring and Evaluation of the Rural Transport Funding Package will gather information on the number and type of transport initiatives which have been set up as a result of the package, and assess their impact on transport provision in rural Scotland. The study is being carried out by Steer Davies Gleave and is due for completion in October 2000.

  The Executive is contributing towards a study to develop methodologies to identify areas where environmental and transport policies work in harmony and also areas where tensions exist. The Executive funded element of the work is the refinement and testing of methodology by applying it to a review of transport and environment policies in rural Scotland. The Scottish study is being carried out jointly by the Universities of Cardiff and Aberdeen and is due to be completed in August 2000.

  Research is planned for 2000-01 into Rural Accessibility; Accidents Involving Tourists in Rural Scotland and a Good Practice Guide on Rural Transport which will provide advice on how to develop multi-agency community transport initiatives.

Transport

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide detailed information drawn from the National Transport Survey or elsewhere on the use of taxis, broken down for each council area, in respect of (i) the number of registered taxis; (ii) the number of registered drivers; (iii) increases in costs of fares from 1990 to present; (iv) the annual fares income per cab and per driver; (v) the annual number of taxi hires; (vi) the annual fuel costs per cab; (vii) the annual distance travelled per taxi, and (viii) the average taxi fare.

Mr Frank McAveety: This information is not held centrally

Transport

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide detailed information drawn from the National Transport Survey or elsewhere on the use of taxis in respect of (i) the average distance of taxi hire; (ii) a breakdown of taxi trips into distance bands; (iii) a breakdown of taxi trips by purpose; (iv) a breakdown of taxi trips by socio-economic groups or by occupation of hirer and (v) the number of taxi trips linked to rail trips.

Sarah Boyack: Information about taxi trips made by Scottish residents is available from the National Travel Survey (NTS). The figures given below relate to the years 1992 to 1998 inclusive.

  (i) the average length of a taxi trip was 3.1 miles

  (ii) a breakdown of taxi trips into distance bands is as follows:

  


Length of trip

  

Percentage of taxi 

  trips

  



Under 2 miles

  

43 %

  



2 to under 5 miles

  

41 %

  



5 miles and over

  

16 %

  



  (iii) a breakdown of taxi trips by their purpose is as follows:

  


Purpose of trip

  

Percentage of taxi 

  trips

  



Commuting; business; travelling 

  to/from education

  

23 % 

  



Shopping and other personal business; 

  escorting someone to/from education or elsewhere 

  

27 %

  



Leisure

  

50 %

  



  (iv) a breakdown of taxi trips by the traveller's socio-economic group is as follows:

  


Socio-economic group

  

Percentage of taxi 

  trips

  



Professional/managerial/ 

  non-manual

  

40 %

  



Manual

  

27 %

  



Retired/other economically 

  inactive

  

33 %

  



  (v) It is estimated that Scottish residents make a total of around 75 million taxi trips per year, of which about three million are "linked to rail trips" (4% of the taxi trips in the sample were part of a journey for which rail was used as the main mode of travel).

  The NTS's Scottish sample provides information about travel by Scottish residents. It cannot provide information about the use of taxis by others, like tourists from abroad: such information is unavailable.

  Because the NTS's Scottish sample size is not large, and because only a small proportion of journeys involve the use of a taxi, the NTS's Scottish samples for seven years had to be combined in order to obtain a sample of taxi trips which was large enough to produce these statistics. As with all surveys, the results could be affected by factors such as sampling variability and non-response bias.

Transport

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what proposals it has to encourage the conversion of taxis to liquid petroleum gas (LPG) and to encourage local authorities to make their LPG supply outlets available to taxis.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive’s Energy Efficiency Office works with the Energy Saving Trust in Scotland to promote the UK Powershift programme, which supports the introduction and use of vehicles using clean fuels. These include natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas and electricity.   This programme is an important initiative in kick-starting the switch to clean fuels within Scotland   and   operates across all sectors without targeting specific vehicles or organisations. The UK Government reduced duty on LPG to 7.5 pence per litre in the 1999 Budget providing an incentive to potential users, including taxi drivers.

Transport

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what proposals it has for the licensing of taxi radio dispatch services.

Mr Frank McAveety: The possibility of providing licensing authorities with a power to licence taxi and private hire car booking offices is under consideration and consultation will take place in due course.

Transport

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to improve road safety.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive and the UK Government will shortly be publishing a road safety strategy for the period to 2010. The strategy will underpin new and challenging targets for casualty reductions which will build on the progress already made. Fatal and serious casualties in Scotland have halved since the early 1980s.

  The Scottish Executive will continue to provide funds to the Scottish Road Safety Campaign for the development of road safety education and publicity materials, including the current "Foolspeed" campaign. It will also continue to fund the operation of the Children’s Traffic Club in Scotland, to ensure that road safety education is available free to all three- and four-year-old children in Scotland.

  The Scottish Executive reviews annually accidents on trunk roads and investigates clusters of accidents at particular locations and routes with high accident rates. This enables necessary remedial measures to be carried out.

Water

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether water and sewerage charges for domestic customers in the North of Scotland Water Authority area will increase in 2000-01 and, if so, by how much; whether it considers any such increases to be excessive, and what steps it will take to protect the public from such increases.

Sarah Boyack: I announced my decisions on the strategic review of charges to Parliament on 26 January 2000. As I made clear then, the larger increase for the north is based on a fundamental reassessment by the authority of the investment that it needs to meet its statutory obligations. Both the Commissioner’s advice and my determination on charges were published then. It is now for each authority to submit its annual charges scheme to the Water Industry Commissioner for approval.

Water

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will set up a public inquiry, convened in Inverness, to inquire into the North of Scotland Water Authority’s financial planning, in particular relating to projected revenue and expenditure, and whether it will guarantee that all information relevant to any such inquiry will be made publicly available.

Sarah Boyack: These matters have already been reviewed. At my request, NoSWA commissioned a review of its corporate planning process. The Authority published the report of the review in January 2000 and is implementing its recommendations. In addition, the Water Industry Commissioner has carried out a strategic review of charges in all three water authorities for the period 2000-02, which encompassed their projected capital investment programmes and revenues. This advice and the Executive’s decisions on charges were also published in January 2000.

Water

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to commission or request any study into the impact of rising water charges on low income families.

Sarah Boyack: In my statement on 26 January, I announced the results of the strategic review of water charges for the period April 2000 to March 2002. I also announced that I have asked my officials to consider whether we can improve on the protection already given to many low-income households through the linkage between water charges and Council Tax banding.

Water

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidelines it has issued to the three water authorities regarding consultation with, and accountability to, local communities.

Sarah Boyack: The Local Consultation (New Water and Sewerage Authorities) Direction 1998 requires the water authorities to consult statutory and other bodies that represent interests in the local communities affected by the authorities' operations. It came into force on 24 August 1998 and provides the basis for local consultation and accountability by the authorities. The Executive has not judged it necessary to supplement the Direction with any additional guidance.